Copper Reactions Lab

Differentiating elements in the periodic table

Maya Aristizabal #1, Santiago Aragon #2, Jacobo Del Hierro #3
Chemistry and Conservation
Rochester School
Chia, Colombia
santiago.aragonvalero@rochester.edu.co — maya.aristizabalhernandez@rochester.edu.co — jacobo.delhierro@rochester.edu.co

Abstract — In this experiment, we did a series of 6. Chemical Reactions: a process in which one or more
reactions with the element copper. These reactions substances, the reactants, are converted to one or more
involved the use of some new techniques and some different substances, the products.
interesting color changes. In addition, they will illustrate
7. Redox Reaction: any chemical reaction in which
some of the different types of chemical reactions that occur
the oxidation number of a participating chemical species
in nature, for example, redox reaction. It is important that
changes.
we make careful observations as we carry out these
procedures. It is also very important that we do the
questions as they appear in the procedures. This will keep
you from falling into the trap of the cookbook approach Introduction — Chemical reactions are quite common in
that was discussed earlier and help you more fully our daily lives, they are differenced from physical reactions,
understand the principles involved in the experiment.The that change their “molecular structure” which is changed
first reaction dissolves the elemental copper to make a by “mixing” two or more types of chemical compounds. In
solution of copper nitrate. The solution is then treated this lab we were mixing copper, zinc metal, nitric acid,
with a base that causes precipitation to happen. The sodium hydroxide, etc… Before starting we weighted the
resulting precipitate is then heated to produce copper copper and after all the chemical reactions we weighted it
oxide. Then treat the oxide with sulfuric acid and Prepare again to see how much the weight changed or if the weight
a blue solution of copper (II) sulfate. Copper ions will turn didn’t change at all.
around soon. Reduction Zinc for making copper metal that
you collect and dry. Several steps in this experiment will I. MATERIALS
give you the amount of chemicals you can use to make it
An idea of the scale you should work on. At the other steps, • DI Water.
it's up to us to make our own decisions. Recall we learned • Copper wire.
about chemical reactions in our last experiment. • Beakers.
• 6M Nitric Acid.
Key words — • 6M Sodium Hydroxide.
• 3M Sulfuric Acid.
1. C h e m i c a l P r e c i p i t a t i o n : f o r m a t i o n o f a • 6 M Hydrochloric Acid
separable solid substance from a solution, either by • Granular Zinc, 20 mesh
converting the substance into an insoluble form or by • Conc. Nitric Acid (15 M)
changing the composition of the solvent to diminish
the solubility of the substance in it.
II. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
Copper: chemical element, a reddish, extremely
2.
ductile metal of Group 11 (Ib) of the periodic table that is 1. Acquire a piece of copper wire from your TA. Accurately
an unusually good conductor of electricity and heat. measure its mass on an analytical balance to the nearest 0.001
Copper is found in the free metallic state in nature. gram. It should be approximately 0.5 gram. Using your pencil
or pen, coil the wire into a fat spiral and place it into a clean
3. Zinc: chemical element, a low-melting metal of Group 150 mL beaker.
12 (IIb, or zinc group) of the periodic table, that is 2. Measure 4 mL of concentrated nitric acid found in the
essential to life and is one of the most widely used metals. fume hood into a graduated cylinder using a disposable pipet.
4. Oxide: any of a large and important class of Keep the beaker and graduated cylinder in the hood and pour
chemical compounds in which oxygen is combined with the nitric acid into the beaker containing the copper wire.
another element. •Make observations regarding any changes that occur
during the reaction. Be careful not to breathe any of the fumes!
5. Sulfuric Acid: dense, colorless, oily, corrosive liquid; Make notes of your observations in your notebook.
one of the most commercially important of all chemicals. 3. Swirl the beaker to be sure all the copper dissolves. If all
the copper fails to dissolve within 10 minutes, add 1 additional
mL of nitric acid. Do not add more than 5 mL of nitric acid in

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 total. Once all the copper solid has dissolved, proceed to the 4 HNO3(aq) + Cu(s) → Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 2 H2O(l) + 2
next step. NO2(g)
4. Fill your wash bottle with DI water, and carefully rinse
the sides of your graduated cylinder with a small amount of DI Question D: Write the balanced chemical equation for the
water from the wash bottle. Pour this rinse water into the 150 reaction in this step. Assume the products are copper(II) oxide
mL beaker. Slowly add more DI water to your beaker until the and water.
volume of solution reaches 30 mL. CuOH → CuO + H2O
5. Add 6 M sodium hydroxide to the beaker 1 mL at a time
using a disposable transfer pipet. If you are unsure how to do Question E: Write the balanced chemical equation for this
this, you may find the instruction in the Common Laboratory reaction. Assume the products are copper(II) sulfate and water.
Procedures section of the Appendix in this manual. CuO + H₂SO₄ → CuSO4 + H2O
6. Add a minimum of sodium hydroxide, but also be sure
that you have added enough to complete the reaction. Tis Question F: Write the balanced chemical equation for the
volume will be around 10-20 mL. reaction in this step. Assume the reactants are copper(II) sulfate
7. When the reaction is complete, add DI water to the and zinc, and that the products are copper metal and zinc
beaker until the solution reaches 70 mL. sulfate.
8. To change the hydroxide to the oxide, slowly and CuSO4 + Zn → Cu +ZnSO₄
carefully heat the solution containing the precipitate over a hot
plate. Be sure to stir the solution continuously during the Question G: Indicate the reducing agent and the oxidizing
heating with a glass stir rod. Watch the solution carefully and agent in this reaction.
record observations.
Cu= Reduced by -2
9. When the reaction is complete, remove the beaker from
Zn= Oxidated by +2
the hot plate and place the beaker on a piece of wire gauze
SO4 = Didn't change
while you continue to stir for a couple of minutes to avoid
bumping of the cooling solution.
Question H: Was the reaction between zinc and
10. When the solution has cooled down, stop stirring and
hydrochloric acid endothermic or exothermic? What was the
allow the product to settle. Once the product has settled, decant
gas produced in the reaction? The gas produced was hydrogen
the solution into a 400 mL beaker. Be careful not to lose any
gas, because when hydrochloric acid is added to zinc, the zinc
solid.
metal becomes zinc chloride and hydrogen gas is evolved in
11. Next, wash the solid with hot deionized water. After the
the solution and reaction, because of the bubbles produced. It is
solid has settled, decant of the wash into your 400 mL waste
an exothermic reaction.
beaker. Save the solid for the next step.
12. Perform this reaction using 3 M sulfuric acid. Add 3 M
Question I: Calculate the percent yield you obtained. This
sulfuric acid to the copper oxide solids 1 mL at a time, until the
can be found by dividing the actual yield you obtained by the
reaction is complete. Tis volume should not exceed 10 mL.
theoretical yield.
13. Move back to the fume hood for the next step.
Inicial Copper mass: 0.524 g
III. COPPER REACTIONS QUESTIONS 21.414 - 20.649 - 0.685 = 0.08 g
Final copper mass: 0.08 g
Question A: This reaction is an oxidation-reduction reaction
yield:
that is somewhat complicated:
0.08/0.524 = 0.152 x 100 = 15.2 = 15% yield.
4 HNO3(aq) + Cu(s) → Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 2 H2O(l) + 2
NO2(g)
Question J: Give reasons as to why you might expect your
Identify the elements oxidized and reduced in this reaction
percent yield to be low. Give reasons as to why you might
and indicate how many moles of electrons are transferred
expect the percent yield to be high. Explain why your percent
between the elements being oxidized and reduced.
yield is high (>100%) or low (<100%).
H= Didn't change
Wrong amount of substances added, resulting in the
N= Reduced by -1
procedure being slightly changed, and making the precipitation
O= Didn’t change
altered, making the yield percentage be <100%.
Cu= Oxidated by +2

Question B: How do you determine that you have added IV. YIELD
enough sodium hydroxide? The substance starts to show
Inicial Copper mass: 0.524 g
visible evidence after reacting with the hydrogen ions. The
Zinc metal mass: 0.550 g
reaction between copper(Il) will get a precipitate of copper(II)
hydroxide, meaning, Cu(OH)2. Mass of watch glass: 20.649 g
Filter paper mass: 0.685 g
Question C: Write the balanced chemical equation for the Total of everything: 21.414 g
reaction in this step. 21.414 - 20.649 - 0.685 = 0.08 g
Final copper mass: 0.08 g

 yield:
0.08/0.524 = 0.152 x 100 = 15.2 = 15% yield.
VII. EVIDENCE

V.
Conclusion — In conclusion, the purpose of this lab was
to do a huge cycle in which we started with a piece of
copper and at the end we needed to finish with the same
amount of copper or not. We started with 0.524g of copper
and we finished with 0.08 g of copper. There were some
mistakes in our procedure, because we’re humans and
we’re not perfect so it's really hard to do everything
correct, we had slightly altered amounts for one or more of
the substances, changing the final result of the lab.

VI.
Analysis — In step 1 of the experimental procedure,
copper metal is added to concentrated nitric acid. During
this reaction element H did not change, element N was
reduced, element O did not change, and
element Cu was oxidized. In step 2 of the experimental
procedure, you added 6 M sodium
hydroxide to the copper(II) nitrate solution to form
copper(II) hydroxide. We knew that enough
sodium hydroxide had been added because the reaction
between copper(Il) will get a
precipitation of copper(II) hydroxide, Cu(OH)2. The
balanced chemical equation for this step is
4 HNO3(aq) + Cu(s) → Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 2 H2O(l) + 2
NO2(g)
In step 3 of the experimental procedure, the copper(II)
hydroxide was heated and decomposed to
copper(II) oxide and water. The balanced chemical
equation for this step is CuOH => CuO +
H2O. In step 4 of the experimental procedure, 3 M
sulfuric acid is added to the copper(II) oxide
to produce copper(II) sulfate and water, the balanced
chemical equation for this step is CuO +
H₂SO₄ => CuSO4 + H2O. In step 5 of the experimental
procedure, 0.5 g of zinc is added to the
copper(II) sulfate solution to produce copper metal and
zinc sulfate, the balanced chemical
equation for this step is CuSO4 + Zn => Cu +ZnSO₄,
Cu was reduced Zn was oxidized, and SO4
did not change. In a 2nd reaction in step 5 of the
experimental procedure, 6 M HCl is added to
copper metal to remove any excess zinc metal. The gas
produced was hydrogen gas, because
when hydrochloric acid is added to zinc, the zinc metal
becomes zinc chloride and hydrogen gas
is evolved in the solution and reaction, because of the
bubbles produced. It is an exothermic
reaction. The initial mass of the copper was 0.524 g and VII. Bibliography
our final mass was 0.08. Our yield was
15%, this happened because we let the experiment be
1.https://www.britannica.com/science/chemical-reaction
contaminated which caused impurities and
2.https://www.britannica.com/science/oxidation-reduction-reaction
resulted in less mass.